WilliamSpain

Before the start of trading, Burger King
BKC
said that it earned $44 million, or 33 cents a share, compared with $49 million, or 36 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter. The company said that currency exchange rate fluctuations hurt the latest results by 5 cents a share.

Sales came in at $634 million, a gain of 3%, while same-store sales -- those at outlets open at a least a year -- were up 2.9%.

The average estimate of analysts polled by FactSet Research had been for the company to earn 37 cents a share on revenue of $664 million.

Looking ahead, Burger King said it expects to earn $1.44 to $1.49 a share for the full fiscal year vs. a Wall Street estimate of $1.52. The company said its forecast includes an expected negative impact of 10 cents a share from currency exchange rate movements.

Back in October, Burger King had expected full-year earnings of $1.54 to $1.59 a share.

Fast-food chains have been beneficiaries of the downturn, as new menu items and expanded hours lure consumers to "trade down" from higher-priced food options. In addition, easing gas prices have put more consumers back on the road, increasing customer traffic.

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